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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: April 7, 2008
"Laughing Without An Accent" Is Topic of 5th Annual Circle of Support Benefit
- Event to Feature Firoozeh Dumas as Keynote Speaker -
- Susan Ford Dorsey to be Honored with 2008 Circle of Support Award -
Palo Alto, CA - “Laughing Without an Accent: Building Bridges Through Humor” is the keynote topic of the fifth annual Circle of Support Breakfast, a benefit for Family & Children Services. The breakfast takes place Thursday, May 8 from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Cabaña Hotel in Palo Alto. Iranian-American author Firoozeh Dumas is keynote speaker and Susan Ford Dorsey is the special honoree. Tickets are $75 each.
Ms. Dumas’ witty and poignant memoir, Funny in Farsi, earned a place on the bestseller lists of The San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times and was a finalist for both the PEN/USA award (2004) and Audie Award for best audio book (2005). A nomination for the James Thurber Prize for American Humor also came in 2005. The Persian version of Funny in Farsi is currently one of the bestselling books in Iran. Ms. Dumas’s next book, Laughing without an Accent, will be published this spring.
In her work, Dumas emphasizes the strength of family, the power of humor and the importance of community as she recalls growing up as an Iranian immigrant in southern California. Critics and readers have loved her stories. Former President Jimmy Carter called Funny in Farsi, “A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love—of family, country and heritage.”
Also at the breakfast, community leader and philanthropist Susan Ford Dorsey will be honored. Mrs. Dorsey is president of The Sand Hill Foundation, a leading family foundation based in Menlo Park which she and her late husband, Tom Ford, established in 1995. The Foundation focuses on organizations involved in the areas of environment and family services. Mrs. Dorsey currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Menlo School, and Common Sense Media.
Kepler’s Books & Magazines of Menlo Park will provide Ms. Dumas’ books for purchase and signing, donating 15 percent of the proceeds to Family & Children Services. Major underwriting support of the event is provided by Patricia Bachmann, Bill and Susan Friedman, John and Barbara Glynn, and Frank and Kristal Shen.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2008, Family & Children Services serves San Mateo and Santa Clara counties through a diverse array of health and human services. Approximately 8,000 children, youth, and adults participate in its mental health, family support, substance abuse treatment, on-campus counseling, family violence and abuse prevention programs each year. To learn more about the agency, please visit www.fcservices.org or call 650-326-6576.
Call (650) 326-6576 or visit www.fcservices.org for Circle of Support Breakfast information.
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Media Contact: Maryanne McGlothlin, 650-326-6576 x 5423
375 Cambridge Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-326-6576
www.fcservices.org
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